Most sports games are good but notgreat. There are small things that have been added throughout the years toenhance the overall experience. The problem has always been that there havebeen many upgrades but many downgrades. For example: it always seems as if thecreators spend too much time on making the stadiums looking more lifelike andthe player’s features and movements don’t improve from the previous year, andof course vice-versa.

MLB08 The Show, may be the exception to this case. In fact, when playing it I feltas if they tried maybe a little too hard. I’ve never played a sports videogame, let alone a baseball video game that absolutely blew me away. I actuallyfelt as if I was watching a game on TV. The overall presentation was flawless,from the announcing to the players’ in game movements. The announcing in thegame is absolutely ridiculous. For example: I was playing against the Giantsand Matt Cain was on the mound, the announcer said, “Zito threw it exactlywhere Buck asked for it.” They knew exactly who was on which team (mind you Ihad traded for both Zito and Buck yet they knew who was where, veryimpressive).

Eachplayer’s movement was so lifelike, from adjusting their cup when they reachbase to turning a flawless 6-4-3 double play up the middle. I was blown away bythe smoothness of the controls. In most baseball games the throwing attempts tobe lifelike but it ends up looking a little jittery (you know what I mean ifyou have ever made the classic running full speed toward third as a shortstop,stopping in mid-stride, turning 360 degrees and firing a bullet while lookingout in center field ala MVP 2005).

WhileI was impressed very much by the overall game there were plenty of defects thatare noticeable. The new pitching style is the hardest system I’ve ever had topick up in a baseball game, this is what I mean by too lifelike. The pitcheshave so much “movement” on them that they are extremely hard to locate withinthe strike zone. Then if you get one across the umpires are so lifelike thattheir zones change with every pitch! Even if you somehow get one across for astrike, the batter will usually foul it off. Don’t be surprised to see multiplebatters have long at bats just because they foul off 6 or 7 pitches, no joke. Ifyou happen to walk two in a row or give up a couple of runs in an inning, youare forced to take out the pitcher (not literally but basically). The pitcherwill lose their target that is needed for accuracy and all of a sudden you haveto aim right down the middle if you want a chance to throw a strike (right downthe middle = home runs). Luckily you are able to turn off the new pitchingstyle and go back to the old way (highly recommended).

Goodluck figuring out how to run the bases when you want one runner to advance andthe other to stay. The only way to advance and retreat the runners is the useof L1 and R1. This is fine, but at the same time you have to use these buttonsto advance everyone, it is impossible to make one go to second without theother runner on third trying to advance to home, dumb. Try not to fall asleepwith all the amount of pick-offs. I had a time when the computer tried to pickme off second base 11 times, I had a normal lead-off (Let me repeat, 11times!).

Thegame modes are all the same as any other game with a franchise mode, seasonmode and home run derby just to name a few. However, the Road to the Show modehas been updated and is outstanding. You begin with creating your player andplacing him on a MLB team. Then you move on to the Minor Leagues trying tobuild up your stats to make the big league. You are a pawn in each game aseverything is simulated up until it is your turn to do something. So lets sayyou are a shortstop and you only get four ground balls in a game, that’s allyou do in the game. It is fast paced and gives the gamer different views of thefield. A very unique mode that sets it apart from other sporting games.

Overall: 8.0